Sinclair Users Network

S.U.N.

SINCLAIR USERS'' NETWORK
2170 Oak Brook Circle
Palatine, IL 60074
(312)934-9375

THE USERS GROUP FOR TIMEX 8* SINCLAIR COMPUTERS

JUNE 1983

Consumer Electronic Show - Chicago - June 5 — This is where the big stores
make their commitments for the Fall and Christmas buying season, so Timex
was present with information on the TS1500 and TS2000 computers. The
TS1500 is a sleek, silver and gray 9" x 5.5" x 1.5" computer with a Sin¬
clair ROM but with built in 16K internally with the capability to be

expanded to 32K by using either the Timex TS1016 or Sinclair 2X81 16K RAM

packs. It is compatible with the TS2040 printer and all ZX/TS software,
BASIC or machine code. The expansion port as well as all the plugs are on
the back and as one plug is just 0.5" from the port on one side with
another only 1.5” away on the other, this might make fitting the unit with
some companies'' expansion devices difficult. In addition, the new solid-
state software device developed for the TS1500 (workable on older ZX/TS's>
will make some expansion products unusable. The TS1500 also features moving
keys, weighs in at 1.25 pounds, and will sell for less than $80. The
TS2000 series computers measure 14.75" x 7.5" x 1.75" and weigh in at 3
pounds , 5 ounces. Using a 42-key typewriter format keyboard with a full

size space bar and movable keys, these computers utilize a special high

resolution graphics mode for a 512 x 192 dot, 8 color monitor display. It
has a built-in speaker that offers 10 octaves and 130 semi-tones. The
■TS2000 series can address up to 256 64K blocks, and when sold, you will be
able to pick one up in a 128K configuration for less than $200! The
cassette system gives ten times the speed and many times the reliability of
the old Sinclair system used on the TS1000. 48K will load in under 3

minutes. Its power is through software cartridges. The TS2000 series

will use the TS2040 printer for hi-res screen dumps. There are ports to

allow the use of "industry standard" joy-sticks, and this computer offers
video displays that are definitely as good as the dedicated video games on
the market. We will have more news on all the new computers next month.

If you're serious about expanding your ZX/TS here are two tips: Dclean up
bad displays with high quality coax connectors such as the Recoton
'■J463/V3&3 combination; 2) use a wel 1-f i 1 tered, 1.5 A plus DC power supply
such as the Power tec SM22B. While this adds to the cost of computing,
these two tips will add to the usefulness of your computer. <

4

Want a great buy in peripherals? For a limited time both Memotech and EZ-
Key are offering a 20% discount to members. Use your I.D. number to
receive the discount when you order directly from them. Misa/Mastercard
holders may call Memotech free at 1C800)662-0949 or write to them at 7550
W. Yale Ave, Denver, CO 80227. The same credit cards are accepted at EZ-
Key at 1 (617) 773-1 187 or write to Suite 75A-7U Southern Artery, Quincy, MA
02169. These offers expire shortly so hurry!

TO BUY OR WOT TO BUY - SOFTWARE:

UNDERSTANDING SINCLAIR BASIC - A+ ASSOCIATES

While learning BASIC we've all wished to have a tutor come in to actually
show us how the various functions and commands work in a program. If you
have the time and money you take a course at a local college and then are
frustruated to find that Sinclair BASIC is so different than the BASIC you

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UNDERSTANDING SINCLAIR BASIC - continued from previous page

learned on in school. The next step for most is to purchase a ZX/TS book
but when you've entered the "same line three times just like in the
book" only to get a syntax error in the same place each time, you may feel
that this is a great time to get out of computing. Well despair no 1onqer
as A+ Associates'' UNDERSTANDING SINCLAIR BASIC has all the BASIC lines all
entered “bug-free" as well as a machine code interactive tutor to explain
the lines as well as demonstrate them!

You start with a title page that dissolves into an alphabetized list of all
of the keywords of Sinclair BASIC. For a lesson on a particular function
you key in the number that accompanies it on the menu and you are shown a
short program complete with explanation that uses the command. When ready,
press (ENTER) to be shown one line at a time what effects this operation
has on your ZX/TS computer. This demonstration is done with a great split
screen feature so that you always know exactly what type of line is being
executed. It is incredible how the same commands that seemed so unlearn-
abl e from a book now come to life on your T(j. BASIC actually works!
(DIM), (UAL) , and (STR$) will be as easy to use as (PRINT) and (STOP)
because you have seen how to run them in a working program. Even (SAL’E),
(LOAD), and (NEW) is demonstrated as are all but the trig functions, but as
they fol1ow the same syntax rules as the other math functions, their tu¬
torial belongs elsewhere. One of the great features is that you can go
over the same function again and again until you have mastered it and then
return to the menu to choose another command to tackle.

Almost unbelievably, all of this is packed into 16K, and tightly packed
indeed. While the beginner may use this program to understand Sinclair
BASIC, the expert may unlock its secrets to discover Sinclair coding at its
very best! This is the finest program of its kind S.U.N. has yet to
review. This software is an incredible buy at $8 for members, $18 for
others. You must add $1 for shipping and NY residents need to include
another 8X for sales tax. Enclose your I.D. number along with check or
money-order to A+ Associates, 175 Fifth Ave. - Suite 3119, NYC, NY 18810.

MORE SOFTWARE:

HOT Z - SINWARE

For those to whom the power of Z-88 machine code proves irresistable,
SINWARE's HOT Z disassembler/monitor is now available to you in three
different versions. All three packages are compatible with the TS1580 as
well as the ZX-81/TS1808 computers. You may purchase a 16K version, a 32K+
version for those with expanded memories, or it now comes burned into a 4
chip EPROM set that fits perfectly on the Hunter board. All three packages
will drive Sinclair and Timex printers as well as the Memotech Parallel
in terface.

This program, although offering disassembly in almost totally standard Z-88
mnemonics, has been written specifically for the ZX/TS ROM. It wi11 lay
bare the ROM's secrets and will label the routines within so that you are
able to see the way that the Sinclair engineers handled various problems.
For your convenience you may select whether the addresses used are in
decimal and hex and may change back and forth with ease. You may also
examine memory one screen at a time with just a keypress and may copy code
onto your printer. You may run machine code one step at a time or in
increments of as much as 255 steps while you monitor changes a routin'
makes to the display, stack, and system variables, as well as monitor any
error conditions that the execution of the code might cause. HOT Z will
(SAUE) or (LOAD) segments of code from and to the addresses that you choose

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HOT Z - continued -from previous page

all without e-f-fecting its own operation. You may quit HOT Z to return to
BASIC and then regain its power with a simple (USR) call. Using this aid
you are in total control o-f your ZX/TS and may monitor or modify registers
at will. Once you are "bug-free” you may use a neat, little routine
provided to transfer your code to a (REM) statement. There are several
levels of error detection and trapping that prevent almost all crashes
caused by faulty code. An extremely useful appendix to the 30+ page docu¬
mentation labels the start of the various BASIC ROM routines.

This program will aid all machine code programmers from the expert to the
novice. Priced at $19.95 plus $2 for shipping for the two cassette ver¬
sions, and $40 plus $2 for the EPROM version, this software compares fa¬
vorably with program development tools for other Z-80 based computers that
cost $100 or more. Order from SINWARE, Box 8032, Santa Fe, NM 87504.
Specify your memory requirements when you order.

TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY - HARDWARE:

16K Nonvolatile Memory Board - HUNTER

The architecture of ZX/TS computers includes 8K of non-used memory from 8K
to 16K. Many devices use this area but the most versatile of them all is
the Hunter Nonvolatile Memory Board. This product, now available assembled
and tested with 8K of low power RAM, is a memory board with three important
features: l)it has a battery on board so that if there is a power failure
the memory on this board remains intact; 2)it does not clear itself when
(NEW) is executed; 3)it can be used with both the TS1016 and ZX 16K RAM
packs as well as the Timex and Sinclair printers. You may configure the
board to allow mixes of RAM/EPROM and even to work with other firmware
devices that use part of the 8K-16K block. The manual explains how you may
"jumper" the product to fit any free 8K block from 8-16K up to 56-64K.

The beauty of this board comes when you've built up a library of useful
programming aids as well as other interesting machine code routines and
find that (LOAD)ing them whenever you want to use them is wasting your
time. You may program or (LOAD) them onto the HUNTER board and they will
stay intact in memory for up to 2 years leaving you with 16K of free memory
if you have a RAM pack. You may also purchase programs such as SINWARE's
Z-TOOLS (reviewed in May) or Berch / s compiler (reviewed in March) which are
made to reside on the board. These programs, as well as your own, will be
ready to access with a simple (USR) call without having to (LOAD) them.
For kit builders, a 19 page instruction manual makes the task very easy
indeed. Unlike most pieces of hardware, this unit comes with nine routines
that will make BASIC programming easier for you, including a routine that
will allow you to have more than 16K of usable BASIC in memory at a time!

This product has excellent documentation and will have you wondering how
you ever got along without it the first time you turn your ZX/TS on and
immediately start to run a program. It is available in various stages of
assembly and priced at $15 to $59.95 depending on how it is ordered. For
further information contact: HUNTER, 1630 Forest Hills Drive, Okemos, MI
48864. The board works with the TS1500.

ZXFORTH as sold by the FORTH DIMENSION now includes a turtle graphics
package with all cassettes. For owners of previous releases of this fine
software, the file listing is available. This is the best version of ZX/TS
FORTH we've tested and will be used in upcoming FORTH columns. You may
purchase ZXFORTH using Uisa/Mastercard by calling 1(717)944-6000. You may
write them at 1451 N. Union St., Middletown, PA 17057. The package costs
$42.95 plus $2 S/H and 6'/. tax for PA residents. This software is TS1500
compatible.